From:
To: City Council
Cc:
Subject: Possible elimination of free Sebastopol Shuttle Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023 9:54:00 PM
Greetings to all Sebastopol City Council Members,
I am a resident of Burbank Heights and frequently ride the Sebastopol Shuttle. I’ve recently read that there is a chance that the shuttle’s subsidizing may be cut in half.
I sympathize with how difficult it is to make budgetary decisions! If you have checked the bus ridership recently, you’ve probably seen that not a lot of Sebastopol residents are utilizing the free bus service, so it is understandable that you have considered making a cut to this subsidy.
However many of the riders from Burbank Heights and Orchards (BHO) depend on the bus to get around to the different stores in town. Many of the elderly and disabled seniors from BHO no longer own a car or drive, so taking the bus is their only option. Plus many of the residents have very limited incomes. If a senior took the bus ten times a month, that would mean $15 out of their small budget. If they got on and off repeatedly on a day trip, that would increase the amount significantly.
A few questions/suggestions:
1. Since you have considered spending only half of last year’s subsidy, what would $7500 be spent on? How would this factor into your agreement with Sonoma County Transit?
2. Could a grant be applied for to make up the other $7500?
3. For those individuals who are in the “extremely low” income bracket, could they be able to continue to ride for free?
4. Could you establish a “city pass” program which would allow some residents to ride for free? Others would pay the full fare.
5. Could there be a “pay what you can” option?
6. Might you establish a sliding scale account for those who apply using their Clipper Card? For those in need, funds would be added to the card.
7. Would you consider a fund raiser (GoFundMe?) to raise the money needed to keep the Shuttle free? Is that even legal?
I realize many of the suggestions would add complexity to someone’s job or would be difficult to manage. I suggest we all “think outside the box” in order to continue having the free shuttle.
This amenity is very much appreciated and we would like to see it continue.
Thank you for your consideration.
Lauralee Aho
Resident Forum Coordinator
Member of the BHO Tenants Union